Black Roses, White Magic
by Wicked Dreamz
Summary: The summer after fifth year begins unpleasantly for Harry Potter. But shortly after, he is whisked away to the Wizarding World where death and dangers await him. Plus, now he's falling for his best friend... As if Hogwarts was ever this fun... (PAUSED)
1. A Little R & R

**A/N:** Before I begin, I want to add an author's note. A couple of things I should mention: 1.) The Harry/Hermione romance within this may come as a bit strong, but that's how I planned it. It may also seem sudden, but I going more for the fiction aspect, rather than "This is what I think will happen in the sixth installment of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series." Because it's not. This is NOT what I think is going to happen.   
  
Enjoy the story! Oh, and please be cautious with your reviews! I'm only 13, so if some of this isn't good enough for you, please give me constructive critism and not brutal flames! Thank you! I appreciate it!

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, though I really wish I did... but I don't! And I'm not making any money off of writing fanfiction, it's just for pure entertainment (of the readers, you, and the writer, me).

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A person would think that sleep would soothe an aching heart or a terrified soul. But for Harry Potter, sleep itself was a thing to fear, for conscious or not, horrifying memories plagued his mind.  
  
Three things never ceased to haunt his thoughts. The prophecy, Sirius, and Voldemort could not be kept away from his mind's eye.  
  
Trying to sleep would be a futile effort. So, confined in his bedroom on Privet Drive, Harry lay awake every and any night, staring up into nothingness. The type of nothingness his heart longed to be away from.  
  
It was times like these that Harry wanted to be a regular teenage boy. To go out on dates without having to avoid the subject of his date's murdered boyfriend; to be able to study for final examinations without having to research what the Sorcerer's Stone might be. But things were not so simple with Harry Potter, for he was the infamous 'Boy-Who-Lived'. No, things would never be normal for Harry Potter.  
  
He lie on his bed, two weeks into the summer vacation, thinking about the Wizarding World and what was happening there in his absence.   
  
Contrary to his summer before, he felt only emptiness when he thought about his _real_ home. Now that Sirius was dead, he had nothing to look forward to. Even in his daily letters to the Order of the Phoenix, the only thing he stated was, "I'm fine, happy, and oh, did you know Sirius was DEAD?!"   
  
The Dursleys didn't help at all either. Why would they? Dudley was so afraid of his cousin, that he would get nowhere near a ten-foot radius of Harry, Petunia didn't even have the courage to look at the boy, and Vernon made sad, pathetic whimpering noises when Harry entered the room. But the one thing they made sure of was that Harry didn't get near Mrs. Figg, his neighbor squib, again, which was perfectly suitable for Harry because he felt that he didn't need an old ding-bat cat lover associating with him.  
  
_'Ron,   
  
Can you please ask your Mum to speak with Professor Dumbledore about whether or not I can come stay with you? It's absolutely boring here; it's lonely too, without you and 'Mione. Besides, I reckon I've overstayed my visit.  
  
Harry  
  
P.S. Thank-you for the gift, it was delicious! Thank Hermione for me as well.'  
_  
This was the letter that had been sent off with Harry's snowy-white owl, Hedwig, all but two days ago. He knew that he should make it sound as normal and happy as he could make it, because he knew Hermione would be out of her mind with worry if it wasn't. Harry expected a reply any minute, but infuriatingly, it wasn't coming.  
  
Harry supposed Ron and Hermione would be at Grimmauld Place, Sirius Black's home.  
  
With the thought of his friends, Harry's blank emotions rose a little, so that a weak smile could make its way upon his face. He knew, now that Sirius was gone, that Ron and Hermione were the only people who could truly brighten his mood.   
  
As always, his thoughts turned to dreams, which in turn became nightmares.   
  
Hours later, Harry awoke with a mighty start. He sat up in the bed, and put his perspiring face in his hands. It had been the veil nightmare this time that had awakened him.  
  
Softly, a clucking sound came to rest upon Harry's ears; a hooting came next. He looked to his wardrobe, atop which Hedwig sat, contemplating her next move.  
  
He slipped his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and then held out his arm.  
  
Hedwig glided down to him, gracefully descending upon Harry's outstretched limb. A letter was linetied to her leg, which Harry immediately pulled off and flipped open.  
  
Ron's hurried and untidy scrawl met his eyes.  
  
_'Harry,  
  
Pack your bags! We'll be picking you up in the morning. Mum spoke with Dumbledore, as you asked, and he said it was alright and that he agreed about you overstaying your welcome. Be ready by nine o'clock.  
Ron  
  
P.S. You're welcome for the present, and Hermione's sends her love.'  
_  
This was probably the only thing all summer that _truly_ brightened Harry's mood.  
  
He spent the rest of that night packing his room, so that by the time he was finished, it was already early morning.   
  
As he closed his trunk, he could hear Uncle Vernon shuffling past his door. Harry waited a moment, then opened the door and walked casually into the hallway. He could hear the shower water running, which meant that Dudley was in the bathroom.   
  
Harry leaned against the wall next to the bathroom door, and steadily combed his slim fingers through his ebony tresses.   
  
About two hours later, Harry sat in his room, looking through his trunk, when the doorbell rang.   
  
His heart sped up, but slowed once again when he heard Uncle Vernon chuckling calmly, and didn't hear Dudley running up the stairs.  
  
"Harry? Oh my goodness, it really is you!" Hermione's distinct voice rested upon Harry's ears.  
  
He spun around and stared aimlessly at his new, and possibly improved, best friend.  
  
Hermione Granger trampled Harry in a breathtaking hug. She pulled back slightly and looked up into Harry's jade eyes.  
  
"'Mione, it's good to see a familiar, and of course beautiful face! You look wonderful. Your hair, it looks astounding!" he complimented, not stopping for a breath.  
  
And indeed, her hair did look very nice. Hermione, it seemed, had taken the liberty of getting it cut and straightened. It was now a couple of inches past shoulder-length and was held back with a headband. Her sense of fashion had changed as well. She was dressed in a knee-length plaid skirt, and a white blouse. It was now that Harry realized that his _other_ best friend, as he referred to her as, was really a girl! Though this came as quite a shock, Harry knew that the guys at school would be running after her.   
  
"I'm not the only one, Potter! Wait'll you see Ron and Ginny! You've changed quite a lot as well, I might add. You're almost a foot taller than me now. I should give a you a shrinking potion in your sleep so it won't be as embarrassing when we get to school," she giggled. They had, over the years, acquired many different nicknames for each other. While Harry constantly called Hermione 'Herms' or 'Mione', Hermione called Harry simply 'Potter' or 'Harry'.  
Harry kissed her cheek, which made her face burn scarlet, and pulled away from her.   
  
"All in one summer's work!"   
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Sure, that's what Ron said."  
  
Harry turned back to his trunk and picked up one end. "Come on, Granger. Don't just stand there, help me. I might be taller, but that doesn't mean I'm any stronger."  
  
Hermione grinned cheekily at him before picking up the other end. Together, they dragged Harry's trunk downstairs along with Hedwig's cage.  
  
"Who...?"   
  
"Lupin's outside, and Tonks is in the kitchen talking to your family," answered Hermione.  
  
"They are _not_ my family," Harry sternly told her.  
  
Hermione raised her hands in defense. "Okay!"   
  
"How come Tonks is talking to the Dursleys? And why didn't Dudley run upstairs when you got here?"  
  
"Harry, Tonks is a Metamorphmagi!"  
  
"Oh, right, a disguise?" It dawned on Harry his stupidity.  
  
Hermione nodded. Harry grabbed her hand and they strolled into the kitchen, where a woman who looked precisely like an older Hermione sat on a bar-stool at the counter. She was smiling mock-politely at Vernon and Petunia who were staring at her nervously.   
  
Harry snickered at the scene playing before him.   
  
Hermione jabbed him in the ribs painfully and jerked her head toward Harry's obese cousin. He was drooling, and at who else but Hermione! She contorted her face in horror.  
  
Harry leaned over and whispered into her ear softly, "Let's show him you're not on the 'market'."  
  
Hermione nodded and instantly clung to Harry like glue. His arm went around her waist and they anticipated Dudley's reaction.  
  
Dudley's hanging mouth closed as he watched the pair.  
  
Hermione leaned her head against Harry's shoulder and his arm tightened around her waist.   
  
With a wink and a wave to his over-stuffed cousin, Harry and Hermione followed a very ticked-off looking Tonks outside.   
  
Remus Lupin was waiting anxiously for them on the driveway. His tired appearance had not changed from Harry's meeting with him two months ago; long gray-brown hair clouded his face, and sad eyes looked at them expectantly. His brow rose instantly at Harry and Hermione (who were still stuck together), then at Tonks (who was still fuming).  
  
Harry immediately separated himself from a red Hermione and began to explain, "There's absolutely nothing going on! We were just —"  
  
"No need to explain, I'll forget I ever saw that," Lupin interjected.  
  
Meanwhile, Tonks was muttering furiously to herself, and Harry caught some of what she was saying.  
  
"What a pig! Asking _me_ if I'm _single_! I'm probably _twice_ his age!"  
  
Harry cracked up laughing hysterically. Lupin and Hermione watched on curiously, but they too began laughing when Tonks smacked Harry on the back of the head.  
  
"NOT FUNNY!" she cried.  
  
"Okay, come on let's get this stuff loaded on the bus!" Lupin said.   
  
"What —"  
  
"The Knight Bus."  
  
Harry's opened mouth snapped shut.  
  
He reluctantly was forced to go back inside to bid the Dursleys goodbye.   
  
When he walked back out, the gigantic, shockingly purple, three-decker Knight Bus stood in front of him.  
  
He hopped on board, seeing that Hermione and the others were nowhere to be seen, and walked down the aisle until he found them. Harry took a seat next to Tonks and then turned to Lupin.  
  
"Are we going to — oh, you know where?" he asked.  
  
"Nope!" Hermione answered. "We're going to the Burrow!"  
  
Harry grinned, "Great!"   
  
The trip to Ron's home took almost four hours. By the time they had reached Ottery St. Catchpole, Hermione had fallen asleep on Lupin's shoulder. Harry grinned at Lupin's contorted face.   
  
"Amateur," said Harry. He stood up and shook Hermione awake. "'Mione, come on, we're here." Hermione opened an eye slowly. Lupin simply shook his head. They disembarked.  
  
Harry looked at the Weasleys' patchy home and walked inside, only to be trampled by the two Weasley women in an array of tremendous hugs.  
  
Once they had all regained their composure, they began the usual, "Mrs. Weasley and Ginny's Harry-are-you-okay" routine.   
  
"Mum! Gin! Let the man breathe!" Ron's voice rang through Mrs. Weasley and Ginny's questions.  
  
"Man?" snorted Hermione from behind.  
  
"I wouldn't be talking if I were you, _Hermy_!" With this, Harry give her a mock-glare.  
  
Hermione stuck her tongue out at him at the use of his other nickname for her, pushed past (literally), and walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Harry, dear, you must be starving! Would you like something to eat or drink?" asked Mrs. Weasley in her 'look how skinny you are' tone.  
  
Harry politely declined, saying he'd had a large breakfast (which was a lie) and walked upstairs with Ginny, Ron and Hermione to Ron's room.  
  
As they reminisced, Harry got a good look at both Ron and Ginny who, as Hermione had said, had changed dramatically over the two months they'd been apart.   
  
Harry was quite positive that his best friend would never stop growing. He towered above Harry, and Hermione only came to his shoulder. As Harry looked on, he noticed that Ron had cut his hair, making it look tousled and shaggy, in a fashionable manner. He knew that the death of Sirius had changed them all in one way or another, and for Ron it had made him mature greatly. His constantly amused eyes had been replaced with mature, and serious ones, though he was still the same humourous Ron.  
  
Ginny too had grown into herself. She was no longer the shy outcast. She was more confident now than ever, as well as more attractive. Her long auburn hair was no longer straight, but came down in ringlets to her shoulders and she was as tall as Hermione. Try as he might, Harry could not find her sweet, innocent, glittering eyes. They had been replaced with outgoing, confident, mature and sparkling ones. If he could tell the future, he would know that "his" girls would become heavy competition for the snobbish Lavender Brown and gossipy Parvati Patil the upcoming school year.  
  
"POTTER!"   
  
"What?" Hermione's voice brought him crashing back to reality and he looked around at the others blankly.  
  
"I asked if you wanted to play Quidditch," Ron asked him.  
  
"Sure," Harry said brightly.  
  
The two guys played Quidditch for the rest of the day. There were only two things that could help Harry keep his mind off his troubles. Hermione, and Quidditch. Flying gave him the freedom that he so missed when at the Dursleys. The only downside was that his Firebolt had been confiscated and had not been given back yet, so he had to use one of the Weasleys' Cleansweeps.   
  
At around seven o'clock, Mrs. Weasley called them back inside for dinner.  
  
For some odd reason, the Weasley household was empty. The twins were not spotted at all that day, playing their usual pranks, Percy of course didn't live there any longer, nor did Bill or Charlie.  
  
When Ron noticed Harry looking around, he leaned over and muttered to him, "The twins got thrown out, because of what they did at the end of last year."  
  
Harry was shocked. Mrs. Weasley was not one to throw her children out so easily.  
  
"Oh," said Harry.  
  
He stood up from the table, as did the others and said, "You guys go on up. I'm going outside for a bit. I need some fresh air."   
  
He knew that none of them had bought that, mainly because they'd spent the whole day outside, but he just needed to be alone for a while.   
  
He strolled out on the patio and sat down on the swing. As he put his head in his hands, he thought to himself, _They've all changed. Why? Why can't everything just be the same? Why can't Sirius still be alive? Why can't Ron be the Ron that I knew two months ago? Why can't Ginny just be infatuated with me, instead of feeling sorry for me?  
_  
"It's not healthy to wollow in your problems, you know."   
  
Harry didn't turn around, for he knew that it was the voice of Hermione.   
  
She walked up behind him on the swing, and then wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned forward, and rested her chin on his shoulder.  
  
"I told you I wanted to be alone," said Harry sternly.  
  
"I didn't buy your load of codswallop for a second," Hermione answered bluntly.  
  
Harry sighed heavily. He unraveled her arms from around his neck and stood up. He held out his hand for Hermione to accept, which she did and he led her off the patio and into the Weasleys' backyard.   
  
They sat down on the wet grass.   
  
"Penny for your thoughts," Hermione said softly after a moment.  
  
"Hermione, you're the most important person in my life. Promise me you'll never leave me?" He wasn't looking at her, he was only speaking.  
  
"I'll never leave."  
  
"Promise me."  
  
"I promise."  
  
Harry laid back on the grass with his hands behind his head. Hermione laid next to him, putting her head in the crook of his arm.  
  
"Harry, I'm always going to be here for you. Don't you dare ever forget that," whispered Hermione.  
  
"How can two people be so important to the fate of six billion others?" asked Harry.  
  
"Oh, Harry," said Hermione. She turned on her side, placing one hand over his waist.  
  
"Having a secret rendezvous... without me? I'm insulted," Ron's voice said as he walked toward them.  
  
"If you were to ever have a romantic rendezvous, I don't think even your girlfriend would invite _you_," retorted Hermione. "Besides, if we told you, it wouldn't be secret anymore!"  
  
Harry couldn't help but smile.   
  
Ginny appeared from behind Ron and sighed at Harry and Hermione. "How sweet! I never knew our naive little Harry to be so romantic!"   
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and sat up.   
  
"You're pathetic, you know," she said to her friend.   
  
Ginny shrugged. "What can I say? I'm just a hopeless romantic is all."  
  
"Thank-you both for ruining my devious plan!" exclaimed Harry sarcastically, as he sat up next to Hermione.   
  
"Actually, Gin and I were just going out to the garden to scare all the pixies out," said Ron in an 'as-if-you-would-know' tone.  
  
"Oh, right," said Ginny, as she happened to remember why they came out in the first place.  
  
"What did you do?" asked Hermione.  
  
"We," — Ron coughed — "_accidently_ dropped one of Mum's favorite vases."  
  
Harry laughed. Leave it to Ron to _become_ a jinx, rather than _cast_ one.  
  
The two Weasley children walked away, leaving Harry and Hermione alone once again. They sat in silence for a few minutes, until Hermione finally spoke.  
  
"Did you really mean it when you said I was the most important person in your life?" she asked.  
  
"'Course I did, Hermione."  
  
"Good, because I feel the same way for you. You're the most important person in my life right now," said Hermione.  
  
"How can you say that? What about your parents?" asked Harry incredulously.   
  
"Harry, I only see my parents twice a year. You and Ron have been the center of my life for five years, and it's not about to change any time soon," informed Hermione.  
  
There was a long pause. Harry decided to change the subject.  
  
"Hermione, you know, you've always been my confidante. I can tell you everything that's on my mind and you won't even flinch when I say 'Voldemort'. I appreciate things like that," he explained abruptly.  
  
"I know. Because of that, I know you like a book, Potter. I can tell when you're happy, worried, or sad. I know exactly what you're thinking," stated Hermione matter-of-factly.   
  
"Ditto."   
  
They stared at each other for a moment. Brown clashed with jade, emerald with hazel; it was a duel of the eyes.   
  
Harry stared into the eyes of the one person in the entire world who saw past the scar on his forehead and loved him because of the man that he was, not the man that society had made him out to be. He realized for the first time in his life, that this woman before him was not only his friend. She was and could be so much more.   
  
"If I told you I liked you, would you run away crying? Would it ruin our friendship? Would it make things awkward with us? Would Ron run around screaming his head off?" he asked in a barely audible whisper.  
  
"Never. Because I would be feeling the same way," Hermione replied. A lone tear slipped swiftly down her cheek, followed by many others.  
  
"Good, because Hermione, you're not just my confidante, you're _so_ much more than that."  
  
Hermione didn't say anything, but looked at him with over-bright eyes.  
  
In a bold attempt to simmer his feelings down a little, Harry courageously asked, "Would it be alright if I kissed you?"  
  
Hermione nodded subtly.   
  
Harry turned toward her and cupped her face in one hand, caressing her cheek with his thumb. He wiped her tears away, wishing his worries and problems away with them as well.   
  
It had just dawned on Harry that he was about to kiss the woman whom he felt to be his surrogate sister. But now, his feelings had become too thick to ignore, and so he sighed again.  
  
He leaned forward. He'd only done this once before, and so felt just as nervous now as he had then. Hermione closed her eyes and licked her lips as a last minute thought.   
  
Tentatively, their lips met. It was sweet, soft, and tender. Harry wanted nothing more than to kiss her. He was not a man of lust. In fact, the very word lust disgusted him.  
  
Hermione was first to pull back. She smiled sweetly at Harry.   
  
He could see every star shining proudly in her eyes; she positively glowed in the light of the crescent moon.   
  
"Am I horrible at kissing?" asked Harry.  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"Good."  
  
Harry opened his arms, and Hermione fell into his warm embrace.   
  
There was a loud cough behind them and they sprung apart.   
  
"Are you sure about that romantic rendezvous?" asked Ron.  
  
Hermione looked up at him, spluttering incoherently.  
  
"Absolutely," Harry answered grinning.  
  
Ginny snorted beside Ron. "Sure..."  
  
Hermione was still spluttering. "Come on, Herms. We should get inside, it's getting a bit too chilly for my liking out here," said Harry.  
  
Hermione blinked twice before she took his hand and stood. The four of them walked back into the house on that crisp, cool evening.  
  
They spent the next few hours in Ron's room. The guys played Exploding Snap and Chess, while the girls read their magazines and books and chatted amongst themselves, giggling from time to time.   
  
"So, Gin, have you got your eye on anyone in particular this year?" Harry asked her suddenly.  
  
Ginny mulled over it a moment, then answered, "Um... well, what do you think of Justin Finch-Fletchley?"  
  
"He's pretty cool. A Muggle-born," replied Harry.  
  
"And he's pretty cute, too," Hermione added.  
  
Harry looked at her curiously. "What? I may have had a crush on him at some point in my life," she said. Harry grinned.  
  
"Finch-Fletchley's alright," agreed Ron resolutely.  
  
Six pairs of eyes stared at him in disbelief.  
  
"You're okay with Justin?" questioned Ginny.  
  
"'Course I am, Gin. He seems like a nice enough guy to me," said Ron, and he turned his attention back to the chess game.   
  
"Well, I suppose we should all get to bed then. It's getting quite late," suggested Hermione, yawning.  
  
"Yes, I agree," said Ginny.   
  
The two girls stood up together and looked down at the boys rather expectantly. After a moment, in which Harry was unable to concentrate due to the hard stare Hermione was giving him, they stood up as well.   
  
"Good night, my lovely lady... and you too, _Hermy_," he added to Hermione.  
  
She pouted playfully before saying, "Goodnight to you too, Four-Eyes."   
  
Harry leaned down and kissed her cheek, which in turn made her blush, and then waited for the two women to leave.   
  
Once they had gone, Ron began with his expected interrogation. "Hermione, eh? Didn't expect it, Harry."  
  
"Yeah, neither did I. I guess it just sort of... happened?" He was just as confused about all of this as Ron was.   
  
"Well, you had better take good care of her, or I'll be on your back before you can say _Stupefy_," said Ron.  
  
"Of course," assured Harry.

---  
  
The next morning, Harry was pleasantly awoken by a kiss on the cheek from Hermione.  
  
"Is that you, Herms?" he mumbled, smiling through his words.  
  
"It's me," replied Hermione.  
  
"Well then, I suppose I should get out of bed, eh?"   
  
"Yep."  
  
Harry sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, and found Hermione next to him on the edge of the mattress. He looked around quickly, then smiled mischievously at her.  
  
"What's going on in that head of yours, Harry?" asked Hermione cautiously.  
  
"Oh nothing much, I was just deciding whether I wanted to snog you now or later."  
  
"Harry!"   
  
"Just joking!" He put his hands up defensively.  
  
Before he could get another word out, Hermione had closed the gap between them. Harry put his hand on the small of her back and grinned through her lips.  
  
Hermione pulled back inquisitively. "What's so funny?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing, you just answered my question for me," answered Harry.  
  
Hermione giggled and returned to their snogging. Finally, after a couple of minutes, she pulled away and giggled again.  
  
"You know, you're so much more laid back then when I met you," said Harry.  
  
Hermione tilted her head. "Really?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Yep. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here, with me as your loveable boyfriend kissing me! Nor would you be in my room in the morning when I'm not wearing a shirt."  
  
Hermione turned a slight shade of pink. After a moment of contemplation, she slid her hands off his shoulders, and stood.  
  
"Come on, Ron's waiting for you," said Hermione.  
  
"Me? For what?"  
  
"Quidditch, what else?"   
  
"Right," said Harry, and stood up.  
  
Hermione walked out of the room, leaving him to his own business.  
  
After breakfast, Hermione walked up to Ron.  
  
"Listen, Harry and I are going for a walk in the woods, and he wants you to come along," she said.  
  
"Alright," agreed Ron, stuffing his hands into his pockets.  
  
They walked back out to the veranda where Harry was waiting for them, a dark shadow shading his face. He turned to them when they walked up and laced his fingers through Hermione's.   
  
All morning, he'd been thinking about his predicament. The same predicament that had been plaguing him all summer long.  
  
As they walked through the forest of trees in Ron's backyard, Harry said nothing for a while; he looked up at the clear blue sky. Finally, he looked back down to Hermione and Ron.  
  
"Last year was a really bad year for all three of us. With Sirius dying and all..." His voice cracked. "But there was something in particular that I never told you..."  
  
He went on to tell them about his meeting in Dumbledore's office, about the prophecy, and about how he had debated whether to tell them or not.  
  
"So, to put it in simple terms: I have to kill or be killed; murder or be murdered; be the predator or the prey," concluded Harry.   
  
Ron's face was impassive as he held a crying Hermione in his arms. Harry turned away from them once again. He couldn't bare to see Hermione like this. Then, what seemed like an eternity later, Hermione choked out, "Why didn't you tell us?"   
  
Harry turned to her and wiped away one of her tears as he said, "This is why I didn't tell you. I knew you'd worry about me. And to think I had to stay a month alone at the Dursleys. You'd go ballistic with concern!"   
  
"Oh, Harry!" Hermione threw herself into his arms and began to sob once again.  
  
"Please, Herms, don't cry. I'm not good with crying girlfriends," said Harry.   
  
"I suppose you have a point... about why you didn't tell us," said Ron in a very quiet voice.   
  
"Glad to hear it," said Harry.   
  
Once Hermione had stopped crying, Harry and Ron took her back to the Burrow. After lunch, they decided they should get out of the house with Ginny and do something, because Mrs. Weasley didn't seem too happy to have four teenagers roaming about all day.   
  
So it was decided that they would go down to the lake behind the forest in Ron's yard.   
  
Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Harry changed into bathing suits, grabbed towels and walked out of the house. They returned to the same path the trio had taken earlier, but followed it to the lake this time.  
  
The first thing Harry noted when they reached the lake was a musty sign. The curious thing about this sign was that it was printed in French so that it read, _"Ce lac est la propriété privée du Lovegoods. Aucun tresspassing!"_ He looked at it quizzically, before he realized Hermione knew how to read French.  
  
"Hey Herms, what does this sign say?" he asked her.  
  
Hermione looked at it a moment, then answered with, "It's quite simple really. It says, _'This lake is the private property of the Lovegoods. No trespassing!'_ Gee, I suppose that means we can't swim here."  
  
"Of course you can."  
  
Eight pairs of eyes landed on the form of an ever-dazed looking Luna Lovegood. Harry's eyes widened. He never knew the Lovegoods lived here... right behind Ron's house. Ron and the others seemed to be thinking along the same lines, because they too were speechless for a moment.   
  
"No it's al —" Harry began.  
  
"Really. Daddy is at work, anyway, so enjoy yourselves. I'll be inside if you need anything," Luna continued. She walked off again without another word and the others looked on in awe.  
  
"What was _that_ all about?" asked Ron.  
  
Harry shrugged. "I dunno, but it was weird enough..."  
  
The others nodded in agreement.  
  
So with Luna's strange behavior behind them, the four stripped down into their bathing suits and waded into the lake.   
  
Harry couldn't help but peer over at Hermione. She looked beautiful in the sunlight, with her lavender-colored bathing suit and cheerful brown eyes. She caught him staring and flashed him a dazzling smile along with a wave. Harry waved back, before he sank into the water to hide his embarrassment.  
  
They decided about an hour of swimming was enough and simultaneously stepped out of the water. Just as they were heading back to Ron's house, Luna approached them again.   
  
"Oh, hello, Luna," greeted Ginny.  
  
"Hello," replied Luna.   
  
"We were just heading back," informed Harry.  
  
Luna nodded, then stood looking almost expectant of them.   
  
"Would you like to hang out with us for a while, Luna?" Ron asked through clenched teeth.  
  
"Oh, thank you for the offer, Ronald. I would gladly join you!"   
  
Hermione turned around and rolled her eyes. Harry gazed at Luna's odd trinkets and almost failed to hold back a laugh at what he saw. The butterbeer caps from the year before had been replaced by a picture of her gigantic lion hat that she had worn at the Quidditch match last year. Her father's magazine, 'The Quibbler' stuck out of a pocket in her dress. But the most bizarre thing about Luna Lovegood was that she was wearing a purple sweater in the middle of July. Harry felt strange as he stood next to her, wearing only a pair of bathing trunks.   
  
He could feel Hermione muttering angrily beside him and took her hand. She looked up at him and sighed.   
  
"Say, uh... Ron, Herms and I are going to get going. We'll meet you there," said Harry.   
  
Ron looked at them with his face contorted, but before another word was said, Harry and Hermione walked off.   
  
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.   
  
"Thanks, Harry! I can't stand that girl," said Hermione.  
  
"No problem, love," Harry answered. "But I don't get it. What's wrong with Luna? I always thought she was cute, in a _quirky_ sort of way." He couldn't hold in the laugh that threatened to escape his mouth.   
  
Hermione glared at him fiercely.   
  
"Shut it, you!" she cried.   
  
Harry laughed harder and clutched his stomach. Finally, a moment later he calmed down. As they walked on, he subtly wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist.   
  
Before getting to the Weasleys' house, they ran into a clearing they had met on their way to the lake.   
  
Harry stopped Hermione and turned her head to face him.  
  
"Something wrong, Harry?" asked Hermione, peering up at him.  
  
"Nope. Nothing at all."   
  
"Then why'd you —"  
  
Harry leaned downward and kissed her.  
  
"— stop...?" finished Hermione, dazedly.

* * *

**A/N:** Don't worry, the story isn't this cheesy throughout. The action picks up next chapter. By the way, if you didn't like their first kiss, I didn't either, I thought it was way too deep to be Harry Potter. But, I just couldn't make it any lighter. Hope you liked it over all though.   
  
**Chapter 2: "News" **  
  
Harry and the others find out some bone-chilling news about what's been happening in the Wizarding World, and Harry gets a new job.  
Leave a review, please!  
  
-:- Wicked Dreamz -:- 


	2. News

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter... damn it, I knew there was something I forgot to do in my life! (That was to make millions writing Harry Potter, but J.K. Rowling did it first... damn... lol) I'm not makin any money off of this here fic, so you people who are looking for something illegal can just go screw yourselves... lol.   
  
**A/N:** Here's chapter two, hope you enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Two: News**

Two weeks after Harry's arrival at the Burrow, he realized that something was really wrong with Mrs. Weasley. When he tried to ask Ron or Ginny about it, the only answer he got was, "_Don't_ ask."

One morning, promptly a week before their return to Hogwarts, Harry and the others were sitting around the table eating breakfast, when Hedwig arrived with a collection of letters tied to her leg.

Harry took them off one by one and picked up the first. It was a letter from... Gringotts? Of all places? The official seal was printed on the back (a goblin and a wizard shaking hands with GRINGOTTS printed over them). He opened the letter up, stuck his piece of toast in his mouth and read the letter:

Dear Mr. Harry James Potter,

We condole you on the recent loss of your godfather, Mr. Sirius Alexander Black. But, it is our unfortunate duty to leave you Mr. Black's last will and testament. Mr. Black's executor is Albus Dumbledore, who we have entrusted with the documents. We will trust that you will keep these documents in good hands when you obtain them.

Gringotts bids you a pleasant day.

Mr. Alfred J. Lennox

Gringotts Bank

By the time he got done reading, the toast resided feebly in Harry's lap and his face had turned stark-white. Ron must have noticed that something was wrong because he took the letter out of Harry's hands and read it.

Harry looked down at his lap, shading his face from the others. He knew Hermione noticed the tears that dripped, but she said nothing in regards to it. Instead, she sat there helplessly while he closed himself up, out of their reach.

Without another word — the other letters long since forgotten — Harry stood up and ran quickly upstairs.

Half way up, he stopped and leaned against the wall.

Hermione approached him, tears in her own eyes as well.

"Hermione —"

"Shut up! Just... shut up!" she cried.

Harry was utterly shocked at her sudden outburst, but complied with her wishes.

She leaned against the wall opposite him and slid down until she was sitting on the ground. Her head rested in her hands, and her shoulders shook from the force of her sobs.

Harry made no move to console her. At the moment he was feeling grief, anger and frustration himself. He was afraid that he'd snap at her if he even tried.

Finally, after an eternity in which Harry watched, strained, as Hermione cried and sobbed, Hermione stood and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

He pulled her to him tightly, his arms secured around her waist.

This had been the first time he had seen her grieve Sirius' death. When the actual event had occurred she'd been knocked out, and when she found out she'd seemed unfazed. But now... now all of it was pouring out. Harry knew that everything had been bottled up inside where no one but herself knew about it. He knew because he'd been through the same thing. The same hole for a month and a half.

He needn't have cried. If he had not cried, she wouldn't be there in his arms sobbing.

"I'm... sorry," she whispered.

"W-Why?"

"Because of everything that's happened..."

"It wasn't your fault... if you blame anyone, you should blame me."

Hermione abruptly stepped away and turned around so that her back was facing Harry.

"You know why I told you to shut up earlier?" she asked with a small amount of bitterness apparent in her tone.

"N-No."

"Because you always blame yourself. Don't you know that it wasn't your fault!? DON'T YOU KNOW THAT NOT EVERYTHING ALWAYS REVOLVES AROUND YOU, HARRY POTTER? YOU HAVE THE SCAR, BIG DEAL. YOU'VE BEATEN VOLDEMORT A FEW TIMES, SO WHAT? THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO BE THE CENTER OF ATTENTION ALL THE TIME. JUST BECAUSE YOUR GODFATHER'S DEAD TODAY DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE ALL GOING TO STOP LIVING OUR LIVES TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE GETTING THROUGH THIS. I PROMISED MYSELF THIS SUMMER THAT I WOULDN'T CONSOLE YOU. I PROMISED MYSELF THAT YOU NEEDED TO REALIZE THIS ON YOUR OWN. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE MAKING IT REALLY HARD, HARRY! LIFE GOES ON, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU NEED TO CATCH UP WITH IT!"

Harry was taken aback. He'd never been on the receiving end of Hermione's temper, that was Ron's job. But for once in his life, he had been the cause of Hermione's anger.

"I — I'm sorry?" he tried feebly.

"You should be! I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I just want you to know that you need to continue with your life. I didn't want to put it so brutally, but you gave me no choice."

Harry looked down at the ground.

Hermione gave off a slightly hysteric laugh.

"Why do you always look down?"

She lifted his chin with her forefinger, forcing him to look into her hazel eyes.

As though the words had just gotten through to him, Harry's face turned pale. "Help me... please, 'Mione? Help me."

Suddenly, Hermione took his chin in her hands. Her lips connected with his in a forceful kiss. The sudden forceful contact had hurt them both. Harry could taste blood over the taste of Hermione.

This kiss was unlike any other they'd shared. It was full of emotion. All the grief, sadness, frustration and anger had been poured into it, giving it life and passion.

Hermione tried to get closer to him, but it was physically impossible; they were as close as they were going to get. Harry leaned against the wall again, using it for support.

As oxygen became a necessity, they were forced to separate.

"You have blood all over your mouth," said Hermione, staring at his bleeding lips.

"You too."

They cleaned it off. "Are you ready to go back down?" Hermione asked cautiously.

Harry nodded. He took her hand and they went downstairs, a lot closer — emotionally — than they had been before.

Ron and Ginny seemed to know what had just occurred. The looks on Harry and Hermione's faces told them something had changed. Harry realized just then that they probably heard Hermione's yelling. Not to mention, their lips were swollen and bleeding.

Harry sat back down and Hermione stood behind him.

There was more post to be opened. Harry took another letter from Hedwig.

This one was from Hogwarts. It was heavier this year.

He pulled out the first letter, flipped it open and began to read out loud:

Dear Mr. H. Potter,

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has a proposition to make to you. We have faith that you will not deny our request.

Promptly two months ago, an illegal club known as the Defense Academy had been led by you. At the time it was illegal. ONLY because Professor Umbridge had been teaching.

Our proposition to you is that you (along with Miss Hermione Granger and Mr. Ronald Weasley) reinstate the D.A. But this time, we wish for you to make it school wide, open to any student who wishes to join.

Along with this offer, we would like to offer you the position of Hogwarts Dueling Master. Professor Dumbledore himself has said that there is no one better for the job than you Mr. Potter.

Please send a reply owl as soon as possible. We shall await your answer.

And by the way, your life-long ban from Quidditch has been lifted. Your Firebolt is waiting in my office. I'm sure you'll pick it up when you get to school.

Have a pleasant break.

Professor Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Transfiguration  
  
"Whoa," said Harry. "They want me to be club coordinator _and _dueling master?"

"Apparently," said Hermione. She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "Good job. I'm proud to have such a 'high-ranked' boyfriend."

"And here I thought you liked me because of me..." Harry joked.

He picked up the next letter and opened it, scanning the contents:

Dear Mr. Harry James Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have received 8 out of 10 OWLS. Your results were as follows:

___**Defense Against the Dark Arts:**_

Practical: Outstanding

Theoretical: Outstanding

Extra Points: 5 (equivalent to one OWL)

Overall: Outstanding (2 OWLs)

___**Divination:**_

Practical: Poor

Theoretical: Acceptable

Overall: Dreadful

___**Charms:**_

Practical: Exceeds Expectations

Theoretical: Exceeds Expectations

Overall: Exceeds Expectations

___**Transfiguration:**_

Practical: Exceeds Expectations

Theoretical: Exceeds Expectations

Overall: Exceeds Expectations

___**Potions:**_

Practical: Acceptable

Theoretical: Acceptable

Overall: Acceptable

___**Care of Magical Creatures:**_

Practical: Outstanding

Theoretical: Outstanding

Overall: Outstanding

___**Astronomy:**_

Practical: Poor

Theoretical: Exceeds Expectations

Overall: Acceptable

___**History of Magic**_

Theoretical: N/A- Student was unable to complete test.

___**Herbology:**_

Practical: Outstanding

Theoretical: Outstanding

Overall: Outstanding

Congratulations on your outstanding achievement, Mr. Potter!

— Attached to this letter is a schedule form that you must fill out. You may take the following NEWT Level subjects:

Defense Against the Dark Arts

Charms

Transfiguration

Care of Magical Creatures

Herbology

— Then you have the choice of an enrichment subject or club:

Defense Academy

Arithmancy

Muggle Studies

Ancient Runes

Wizard's Chess Club

Dueling Club

Fencing Club

Debate Team

Good luck on future tests!

Griselda Marchbanks

"WOW! I'm so proud of you, Harry! Eight out of ten! That's wonderful!" Hermione squealed.

She walked around and kissed him.

Ginny stood up from her spot at the table and gave Harry a hug.

"Harry! That's great," said Ron.

Harry was staring at the results. "That's strange though. Why would they give me an OWL just because I can conjure a Patronus?"

Both Ron and Hermione shrugged at him.

Harry nodded.

The next thing in Harry's large pile of letters was a copy of the wizarding newspaper _The Daily Prophet_.

"Wonder why there's a _Prophet_? I didn't order one," said Harry, but he opened it up anyway and began to read.

What he found on the front page made his face fall and his eyes to widen.

The headline read, "_Mass Escape in Azkaban Prison_"

_A mass breakout in Azkaban Prison occurred   
__yesterday, as reports Rita Skeeter, special   
correspondent. Many of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's   
so called "Death Eaters" who were captured at the  
Ministry of Magic headquarters last May managed  
a mass escape from Azkaban prison just yesterday.   
The names of the escapees have yet to be released.   
Another notary occurrence was that every Dementor  
who guarded the fortress have claimed to have no  
involvement whatsoever in the escape of more than  
ten potentially murderous people. Minister of Magic,  
Cornelius Fudge refuses to release further information. _

Harry gulped. "I-I can't believe this," he muttered.

Hermione stared him with a concerned expression masking her face. "What is it, Harry?" she asked.

"All the Death Eaters that were captured last term escaped from Azkaban yesterday," Harry explained gravely.

The remaining color on Hermione's face drained away quickly and she mumbled, "Oh my," before she fainted.

-----

"Hermione, Hermione, wake up," said Harry.

He looked down at her pale face and urged her to wake up. "Come on, Herms. Wake up," he prodded.

She coughed a little bit, and slowly her eyes opened up. "Ohhh, where am I?" she grumbled.

Harry smiled. She was awake and okay. "You're at The Burrow, sweetheart. Come on, up you go."

She sat up with Harry's help, while looking around at her surroundings. Ron and Ginny were staring at her with worried expressions on their faces, and what was this? Luna Lovegood stood next to Ron who had his arm wrapped around her waist.

She looked at Harry with surprise masking her face. "When—"

"Say, 'Mione, now that you're up, why don't we go upstairs? There are a few things I need to discuss with you," Harry suggested, quickly cutting her off.

She nodded. "Right, okay," she answered.

Harry helped her to her feet and the two of them quickly climbed the stairs to Ginny's room.

Hermione sat down on the edge of her bed, then stared up at Harry expectantly.

"So, you were saying...?" she prodded.

"Oh... yes, yes of course. Ron and Luna are an 'item' as they say," said Harry. He began to pace. "Um... there's a bit of a crisis going on at the moment down at Ministry Headquarters..."

"Yes, what is it?"

* * *

**A/N:** There's chapter two... hope you liked it! Drop me a review... or two. They fuel my fire! Thank you to all those who reviewed for the last chapter, I appreciate it. And yes, I do wish boys nowadays were as brave as Harry, but alas they're not... I do still love them though, lol. My apologies for the cliffhanger. I have most of Chapter 3 done already, so you won't have to wait very long...   
  
**Chapter 3: "The Chaos Ensues"**  
The crisis Harry was speaking of is revealed and so is a good many other things which might give our favorite heroes and heroines something to think about... 


	3. The Chaos Ensues

**A/N: **Sorry for the semi-long wait. Chapter three introduces some new characters with which I'm sure you'll get confused. Fear not, cuz everything should fall into place in the next chapter. By the way, I just wanted to explain my strange title for this story. You see, black roses signify pain... which Harry experiences a lot of, and white magic signifies healing which Harry also experiences a lot of. Usually, healing comes after a person experiences pain, and that's what Harry's doing right now (because Sirius died, which was the pain part). Just thought I would explain it, because I know it doesn't make any sense at first glance. I apologize for the babbling, so I'll get on with the story.

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter, though I really wish I did... but I don't! And I'm not making any money off of writing fanfiction, it's just for pure entertainment (of the readers, you, and the writer, me).

* * *

**Chapter Three: The Chaos Ensues**  
  
"The Wizengamot has overthrown Fudge for lack of cooperation with Dumbledore and the Order. The Wizarding World is currently without a Minister of Magic," Harry explained.  
  
"How long was I out for?" Hermione asked.  
  
"What?" Harry said, completely being caught off guard. "About half a day."  
  
"Oh my," Hermione mumbled. "When are they getting a new minister?"   
  
Harry stopped his pacing a moment, then continued. "As soon as they find a candidate," he said.  
  
"Oh, dear God," said Hermione. "Who knows when that will be!"   
  
"There's more," said Harry. "Lestrange and Malfoy Sr. were spotted outside of Knockturn Alley this morning."  
  
Hermione's face paled. "Well, aren't they smart?" she said sarcastically.  
  
"The question is why would they go out into a crowded street when the only thing everyone is talking about is their escape?"   
  
"Not everyone. Harry, the overthrow of the Minister is of more concern to the Wizarding World than Voldemort's Death Eaters whom they haven't been able to stop in more than fifteen years!"  
  
"Then the pressing matter is how did they get out?" asked Harry.  
  
"I know how," said a deeper voice from the door.   
  
Bill Weasley stood in the doorframe with his arms crossed. He stepped forward into the room.  
  
"They bribed the Dementors," he said.   
  
"What? That's absurd!" Harry exclaimed.  
  
"Not completely. If you remember what Dumbledore said about the Dementors in fourth year. He said that Voldemort could offer them so many more souls than the Ministry ever could. You see, the Ministry doesn't perform the Kiss unless the circumstances are to the point of emergency. Voldemort doesn't care. He would give the Dementors the souls and happiness of the Death Eaters if he had to, in order to get what he wanted from them," Hermione explained.  
  
"You're right, of course," Harry admitted. "Now what?"   
  
"Now, we get you to Hogwarts," said Bill.  
  
"What?" Hermione said. "Why?"   
  
"Everyone thinks that you three, Ron included, among others will be safer at Hogwarts. If you've got a complaint take it to McGonagall. But... I wouldn't exactly advise you to do that either," said Bill.  
  
"Okay... so when are we leaving?" asked Hermione. She stood up shakily, and almost fell down but Harry caught her and put an arm around her shoulder.   
  
"Now," Bill answered succinctly.  
  
"Now!?" Harry exclaimed. He just about lost his balance, but kept steady and latched onto Hermione.   
  
"Get ready soon as you can," Bill replied. He gave them a nod, and was gone before Harry even saw him disappear.   
  
Hermione and Harry rushed downstairs quick as their feet would take them and landed in a heap on the floor in the living room.  
  
"Dammit," Harry muttered.   
  
"Harry, get off me!" shrieked Hermione.  
  
Harry rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at where he'd landed. A small blush appeared on his face, so he stood up and turned away.  
  
"Harry, Hermione are you packed yet?"   
  
Harry answered for the both of them with a grumbled, "No."  
  
"Well, go on get ready!"   
  
Remus Lupin walked into the living room where Harry and Hermione were standing around, very confused as to everything that was going on.  
  
"Come on now, we haven't got the time for you two to doddle!" Lupin said. He clapped his hands together in a gesture that clearly meant 'Hurry or you'll be left behind!'  
  
"Good God, will someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
"Let's go pack, Hermione," Harry replied bluntly.  
  
With an exasperated sigh, Hermione agreed and the two stole their way upstairs.   
  
Within fifteen minutes, everyone was ready to leave, including Ron, Luna, and Ginny.  
  
"Is anyone else going to be there?" Harry asked.  
  
"Neville Longbottom, Draco Malfoy, and Blaise Zabini, as well as Lisa Turpin," Lupin answered.  
  
"DRACO MALFOY!?" Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny cried out at once. Luna turned to the four of them with a blank expression masking her ever-dazed face.   
  
"_Who_?" she asked.  
  
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny rounded on her, each one saying different rude comments such as "You've never heard of the bastard?" and "Luna? Are you feeling alright? You have no idea who the biggest—"  
  
"Stop right there, Ginny," Lupin interjected.   
  
"What?" Ginny huffed. "I was just going to say 'jerk'."  
  
Lupin gave her a look that said, 'Sure you were; that means I'm the Queen of England, right?'   
  
"REMUS! REEEEMMMMUUUSSS! DON'T LEAVE!" Tonks scrambled into the living room, knocking over a coat rack in the process, her appearance that of a Muggle police officer.   
  
Lupin crossed his arms over his chest, and tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Tonks to catch her breath.  
  
"Alright... woo... okay, um, we need to take—" she began. A boy stepped into the room. The boy was tall, with slightly blonde, brown hair and a tired appearance which contrasted with the bright gleam of his gray eyes. He looked sixteen or seventeen years-of-age or so. "Him with us," Tonks finished.   
  
The boy did not smile, nor did he make any indication of saying hello. He stood by Tonks's side, quieter than a doorknob.  
  
"Gunner Benson," Tonks said when Benson stayed silent. "Meet Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood. Harry, Gunner will be helping you in your Dueling Master duties."  
  
Harry smiled kindly at Benson, but Gunner's face remained impassive.  
  
"May we go now, Tonks?" Lupin asked, drawing himself back into the conversation. "Is he staying with the Gryffindors?" Lupin pointed at Benson.  
  
Tonks nodded enthusiastically. "He's a new student."   
  
Hermione moved closer to Harry, and as inconspicuously as she could, grabbed his hand, when Gunner began to look her over.  
  
"Alright, no Portkeys this time," Lupin explained. "We'll be traveling the Muggle way. In your language that means we're going to cram into a car and speed off to Hogwarts."  
  
The teenagers, Lupin, and Tonks grabbed their bags, and in one big line, marched out the door.   
  
"Harry," Lupin said. Harry stopped, then looked over at Lupin. "Besides his house, Sirius left you one more thing."  
  
Harry gave him a shrug with a puzzled look on his face. "What's that?" he asked.   
  
Lupin tossed Harry a set of keys. "Turn around and you'll see."  
  
Harry obeyed and the sight before him almost blew him over. Had it not been for Hermione standing next to him, Harry would've fallen over in shock. Sirius's pride and joy; his most prized possession; his motorcycle stood in the light of the sun gleaming and glittering. Though having not remembered ever seeing it before, Harry knew how important this one thing had been to Sirius.  
  
"Can I... Can I drive it there?" Harry said quietly, afraid that speaking too loud would make the bike disappear with a 'poof' never to be seen again.  
  
"It's soul purpose was to be given to you to do with it what you wished," Lupin replied.   
  
"Come on, Herms. Hop on! I've got a machine and I'm not afraid to use it!" Harry announced.   
  
"The bike is charmed, so you don't need to worry about figuring out how to drive it. It will drive by itself," explained Lupin, to which Harry nodded.   
  
Harry held out his hand to Hermione, who took it gratefully, and lifted her up onto the bike. He slung a leg over, got comfortable, stuck the key in the ignition and the bike roared to life. Hermione's arms wrapped tightly around his waist tensely, as if she feared riding this (to Harry) magnificent machine. She laid her head on his back.  
  
"You scared?" he asked.   
  
He felt her nod. "Terrified," she answered.   
  
"Don't be."  
  
"Alright."   
  
It took the party almost four hours to reach Hogwarts, in which they had four rest stops ("I have to use the toilet!" and "Stop, or you'll see a side of me that will scare you!") and also a lunch break.   
  
They had reached the castle by dark, and were in the Entrance Hall by nine o'clock.  
  
"Miss Anderson! Come back! You need to take your medication!"   
  
"I don vant to take my medicason."  
  
"I will not have it! If I am pushed to it, I will bind you with ropes and drag you back here!"   
  
"Leave me elone you crasy woman! I don't vant to take my meds!"   
  
Some sort of something crashed into Gunner. The "something" fell backward and landed on its rear.   
  
Gunner didn't bother to help the person up, but Harry and Ron rushed over. Harry realized it was a young lady. She had waist-length black hair that sported red streaks, the strangest crimson eyes Harry'd ever seen, and a twisted smile.   
  
"I'm uh... very sorry. I must leave," she said quickly.   
  
"There you are." Madame Pomfrey came rushing over to the group of teenagers, Lupin, and Tonks. "It won't sting a bit."  
  
"Yes... yes it vill!"   
  
This girl had a very Transylvanian accent... almost... almost... nah. Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts. She couldn't be.   
  
Madame Pomfrey pulled out a syringe, took the girl by the arm and gently sunk the needle into her skin.   
  
"Ahhh!"   
  
"Oh, hush now, Felice. You didn't even feel anything!" Madame Pomfrey argued.  
  
"It berns! It's berning! Le guérisseur fichu de sorcière! Je déteste les sorcières!" Felice screamed out.  
  
"Je déteste les vampires. Nous sommes des égaux. Now stop that wretched screeching!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed.  
  
"What the hell did they just say?" Harry whispered to Hermione.  
  
"Felice said, 'That rotten healer of a witch! I hate the witches!' and Madame Pomfrey said 'I hate the vampires. We are equal.' You should really learn French, Harry. It comes in handy when you least expect it."  
  
"Vampire?" Harry muttered.   
  
"Stop your stupid bickering! Is the vampire safe now? What does the medication do?" Gunner asked Madame Pomfrey in a low, hoarse voice.   
  
All eyes landed on Gunner. He hadn't uttered a word the whole day, and now he was asking about vampires and medicine?  
  
"She was just bitten two months ago. Her transformations are involuntary and this potion stops the transformations from occurring for a week. She gets an injection of it every month," Pomfrey explained.   
  
"That's a bit daft. Why not give her the potion every week?" Benson asked.   
  
"Because, her body cannot handle any more of this potion than we are giving her right now," Pomfrey replied firmly.  
  
"Ever tried anything else?" Benson asked.   
  
"Yes, of course we have. Nothing else seems to work quite as well as this," Pomfrey said.   
  
"So, you're telling me that three weeks out of four this girl could turn into a vampira at any minute?" Gunner questioned.  
  
Madame Pomfrey nodded solemnly.   
  
"I'm still standing here, you know. I vill be able to control my transformations soon," Felice promised.   
  
"A week?" Benson inquired.   
  
Felice shook her head sadly. "Not that quickly. Maybe a month; it could be more or less," she replied.   
  
Harry looked between the two then asked, "Are you a new student?"   
  
Felice nodded brightly. "Newest addison to Gryffendor House," she answered in her accent.  
  
"Are you Transylvanian?" Ginny asked.   
  
"Nope, the accent comes vith the territory of being a vampire, vampira, vatever you vant to call it," Felice said.   
  
"Harry, why don't you and the others get settled in? Take Felice with you if you like," Lupin suggested.   
  
"Sure. Felice, you want to come?" Harry asked.   
  
Felice nodded in reply. The group lifted up their bags and took to the stairs.   
  
It seemed that Neville was already settled in. The fire in the Gryffindor Common Room was already burning and books and papers were spread out across one of the tables.   
  
Instead of walking upstairs to unpack, Harry put his things behind the couch and dropped down on the sofa, pulling Hermione with him. She landed, laying flat on top of him and blushed five shades of red all in the span of two seconds.   
  
Now lost to the people around them, Hermione leaned downward and kissed Harry square on the lips. Somewhere in the background, Harry heard Felice say something along the lines of, "So I'm guessing these two are, how you say, an item?"   
  
Hermione broke the kiss and laid her head on top of Harry's chest. "Harry, how are we going to fare this year?"  
  
"We'll get through it just like last year, and every year before that. You scared?" Harry asked, stroking her soft brown hair.  
  
"Terrified."  
  
"Don't be."  
  
"Alright."  
  
Hermione lifted her head to kiss him once more.   
  
Neville came bumbling down the stairs just then. "Trevor! No, Trevor come back here! Grams will kill me if I loose you!" he yelled after his hopping toad.   
  
"Hey there, Longbottom," Harry said.  
  
Neville stopped and looked around. There were about six other people standing in various places in the Gryffindor Common Room.  
  
"You guys made it!" Neville bubbled. "I didn't think you would agree to come, knowing how you are."  
  
"We didn't have much choice," Hermione mumbled. She stood up off Harry, fixed her hair, grabbed her bags and rushed upstairs.   
  
"Um are you—" Neville began.  
  
Three different "yeses" came from Ron, Ginny, and Harry.  
  
"So you and Hermione—"  
  
"Yes," they said in unison again.  
  
"Wow." Neville stepped out of his shocked state. "Hey, um, could you help me find Trevor? It seems he's run off again."  
  
"Sure," Harry answered. He, Ron, and Ginny took to the floors to look for Neville's lost toad.  
  
It took them about twenty-minutes to finally hear croaking and another twenty-minutes to find the blasted toad itself.  
  
"Thanks," Neville said, picking Trevor up. He stuffed the amphibian into his pocket.   
  
"Ewww, Neville that's absolutely horrid!" Ginny cried.   
  
Neville's cheeks tinted. "I would never be able to find him if I didn't have him in my pocket."  
  
With that, Ginny as well made her departure, taking Felice with her.   
  
"It's been fun— this reunion— but now I'm leaving," said Gunner. He was out the portrait before Harry had a chance to stop him.  
  
"So, when'd you get here, Nev?" asked Ron.  
  
"Oh, this morning," Neville answered. He paused for a moment, then said, "Who were those people? I ran into that girl earlier."  
  
"Felice Anderson and Gunner Benson. New students," Harry replied. He felt that Felice being a vampire should be kept a secret until she gave him permission to tell people.  
  
"Well, I'm officially bored," Ron said. "I'm off to find Luna. I suggest you go and get Hermione as well, Harry. Might do the both of you some good to spend some time together."  
  
Harry nodded. "Right. Um, and Ron, while we're here before school starts, try and stay on Malfoy's _good_ side," Harry warned.   
  
"Right, right." Ron waved Harry off and he too was out the door before Harry could answer.  
  
"I'll see you later, Nev," said Harry. He stepped up to the girl's staircase (being careful not to step on it) and yelled up, "Hermione! Come down for a second, would you?"   
  
He waited a moment, before he heard Hermione storming down the stairs. When she finally came into view point, Harry's breath caught somewhere in his throat. She was sporting a towel... and nothing else.   
  
"U-Ummm, er... I-I was—"  
  
"Harry, stop. Hold on," Hermione said. She brought up her wand and muttered an incoherent spell. Her towel was replaced by a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "That better?"  
  
Harry nodded vehemently. "Much," he replied, though he knew he would never forget what he'd just seen. "Walk with me?"   
  
"Harry, it's dark out. We can't possibly take a walk."  
  
"Who said anything about _outside?_" Harry questioned.   
  
"In that case," said Hermione coyly, "let's go." She took a hold of Harry's arm and they strolled out the portrait hole.  
  
"Felice seems nice," Hermione said. Harry nodded.  
  
"Yeah, but Gunner's a bit strange," he said. "It almost seems like he's hiding something."  
  
"I wonder what he could be hiding?" Hermione mused.  
  
Harry shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he'll tell us."  
  
They turned a corner, and who should they find, but Draco Malfoy himself. He wasn't alone. In fact, he was the farthest thing from it. Draco Malfoy was necking a short girl who had brown hair.  
  
Harry cleared his throat, causing Malfoy to stop his... activities and whirl around to face Hermione and Harry. He smirked at them, then turned back to the girl and resumed his snogging.  
  
Harry and Hermione made their exit as quick as they could. Once safely around the corner, Hermione let out a squeal, "Ewww, that was sickening! Malfoy? Yuck!"   
  
"Who was that girl anyway?" Harry asked.   
  
"Lisa Turpin; a Ravenclaw. I was paired with her once in Charms," Hermione answered.   
  
"Oh," Harry muttered. After a short recovery, they resumed walking.   
  
"You know, Pansy' s going to be furious about this!" Hermione mused.   
  
"Yep, talk about cat fights," Harry replied.   
  
Hermione giggled quietly. She stopped abruptly, causing Harry to stop with her as well, and turned to face him.   
  
"Let's go back," she said in a sort-of nervous-calm voice.  
  
"Alright. What's wrong?" Harry asked.   
  
"Nothing, let's just... let's go back."  
  
Harry looked at her curiously, but he shrugged and turned around. "Okay, your wish is my command."  
  
Hermione giggled, and took the arm that he held out for her. She leaned into him as they walked.   
  
Two voices echoed across the hallway. Both of which, Harry and Hermione recognized.   
  
"Felice, I can't believe you got bitten! I leave you alone for two months with Drake and you get bitten by a vampire? You're so stubborn, I don't even know why the hell I bother with you!" Gunner fumed. "You know how Drake is! You know what his friends are like. So, did you think that if I left you with him for two months you could get on his good side? Felice, I told you not to mess with him. He might be my brother, but he's dangerous in his own way."  
  
"He forced me into it, Gunner. I could not help it! It vas like he had me under a cerse!" Felice countered.  
  
"That's pronounced 'curse'." Gunner put his head into his hands. "How do we explain everything to Potter and the others? Huh? How? Tell me, Felice. How do we tell them?"   
  
"Simple, Gunner. Ve don't," Felice answered.  
  
Harry stepped cautiously around the corner. Felice was standing against the wall, with her arms crossed over her chest and Gunner was standing in front of her looking quite angry.  
  
Felice noticed the two, Hermione who had stepped behind Harry and was looking over his shoulder (with difficulty, since she was standing on tip-toe) and Harry who had a questioning look on his face.   
  
"Hello, Harry, Hairm-i-on-e," Felice said.  
  
Gunner stared unmoving at Hermione, who again, hid behind Harry.   
  
"Would you mind not staring at my girlfriend?" Harry asked him.  
  
Gunner shrugged and said, "She's a beautiful woman. A lot of guys do it, so what? If you're there with her, no one will bother approaching."  
  
"It makes me feel uncomfortable, so could you stop?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Don't worry, it's not like I'll do anything to you," Gunner said cooly. "I've got a girlfriend."  
  
"Oh, is that right? Yet, you stare at other guys' girlfriends?" Harry asked in just as cool a voice.   
  
"_I_ don't care, and neither should you," Felice said.   
  
Harry turned to her. "_You're_ his girlfriend?"   
  
"What's so wrong with that?"   
  
"Nothing... just came as a shock. I didn't know you two knew each other," Harry said, his cool act dropping to a minimum.   
  
"She's my betrothed," Gunner muttered. He turned away from the other three.   
  
Felice rolled her eyes. "You make it sound like such a big deal. But it's not."  
  
"It _is_ a big deal, Felice! You're my _betrothed_... get that through your head. We're going to get married whether we like it or not!"   
  
"Betrothed?" Harry said.   
  
"Yes... we both come from... distinguished families... it's a long story. I'd like to tell you, but I can't," said Gunner. He turned and stalked down the hallway. Felice followed after him a moment later.  
  
Harry and Hermione could hear them arguing as they trudged down the hallway.  
  
"Two months, Felice!"   
  
"I told you, Gunner! I svear he put a cerse on me!"   
  
"That's pronounced 'curse'!"   
  
"Do you still want to head to the Common Room?" Harry asked.   
  
Hermione nodded. "Yeah... there's something I want to do."   
  
So, they headed back to Gryffindor Tower.   
  
When they arrived, they found that Ginny was talking with Neville on the couch. Felice and Gunner were sitting by a window on a window seat. Ron and Luna were nowhere to be found.  
  
Hermione glanced at Harry, then made for the Boys' Dormitory steps. Harry stopped her for a minute, with a blank look on his face.   
  
"Just follow me," she answered.   
  
They reached the Sixth Year Boys' Dorm and Hermione lead them inside, closing the door after her.   
  
"Hermione what—"  
  
"I'm going to spend the night in here," she answered.   
  
Harry looked dumbfounded. "You—what?"   
  
"Go get ready for bed, Harry."   
  
Harry shrugged at her as though nonchalantly, though his bright red face told Hermione otherwise.  
  
He came back fifteen minutes later, clad in flannel, plaid pants and a white t-shirt. Hermione was sitting on the edge of his bed, wearing long-sleeve plaid pajamas.   
  
Harry sat down next to her, and neither said anything for a moment, until Harry couldn't take the silence anymore.   
  
"Look, Hermione—"  
  
Hermione shook her head. "Just let me do this, okay? Please?"   
  
"Hermione, it's fine with me. But is this what you really want to do?"   
  
"Yes."  
  
Harry nodded. He pulled up the covers and slid over to let Hermione slip under them. The two ended up on either end of the queen-sized bed, backs to each other. Simultaneously, they closed the hangings around Harry's bed on each side.   
  
"Goodnight," Harry whispered.   
  
"Yeah..." Hermione turned around and scooted over, resting her head on his chest. She lifted her head, kissed him, then fell asleep with her head on his shoulder and an arm resting across his mid-section.  
  
_"Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum! Work, Goddamn it!" Her aquamarine eyes widened abruptly turning a shady navy-blue. A blue fire burned within them never seen before in such beautiful orbs. "You killed them, and now you'll pay!"  
  
Voldemort let out a harsh cackle. "I will, will I?" he said. The Death Eaters joined in the laughing, before Voldemort held up a hand and the fake-chuckling ceased. "I don't think so, Miss Summers... I don't think so."  
  
"Try me..." she said, and held her wand at ready. The Dementors neared her, their breathing ragged and raspy. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the first time she'd went on vacation with her parents... the first time they hadn't argued at all... "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A stallion leaped out of her wand, galloping toward the Dementors, who floated away.  
  
"Maxum Expelliarmus!" The wands which resided in the Death Eaters' hands were shot to the ground behind her. "Reducio!" The Death Eaters shrunk in size until they were but a foot tall each.  
  
"That was good, Melanie, dear, but not good enough!" Voldemort hissed. "Avada Kedavra!"  
  
Melanie jumped quickly out of the way, causing her to land sharply on her right arm, which, with a crack, was official broken. She looked at her bleeding knee which had a deep cut from where a rock had cut into her leg.  
  
"You'll have to cast faster than that, Riddle!" Melanie shouted. She quickly created a Portkey from her scarf and immediately felt a pull at her navel.  
_  
"Agh!"   
  
Harry sat up, which caused Hermione to be pushed off him.   
  
"Harry...? What— What is... it?" Hermione mumbled.   
  
She sat up, trying desperately to find her wand. "Lumos."  
  
Harry had his head in his hands and was sweating profusely. "I have to go... I have to go..." he muttered.   
  
He got out of bed in a rush, leaving Hermione sitting there shocked.   
  
"Where the hell are you going?" she hissed. "It's probably two o'clock in the morning."  
  
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing, Hermione!" he snapped.   
  
"I'm coming with you then," Hermione said. Harry shrugged.   
  
"Yeah, sure. I might need your help anyway."  
  
Harry dug through his trunk in search of a couple of items.   
  
"Your Invisibility Cloak is under your spell books and the map is folded inside the cloak," Hermione explained.   
  
Harry looked up at her with a curious expression on his face.   
  
Hermione grinned. "I packed your trunk for you, remember?" she said.   
  
"Thanks," Harry replied, smiling back.   
  
He stood back up, and after quickly giving her a peck on the cheek, he put the cloak over the two of them.   
  
"Do you realize..." Hermione said, "that we wouldn't get in trouble even if someone found us?"   
  
"Do you realize..." Harry added, "that we were the only ones in the dorm?"  
  
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You're a strange one, Potter."   
  
"Not stranger than you, Granger."  
  
They walked through the portrait hole in silence. Harry's thoughts roamed to the girl from his dream. If his instincts served him correctly they would find her somewhere in the castle.  
  
He looked down at the map and his wand. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispered. Hermione turned to look at him. Harry's eyes searched across the worn parchment as he tried to find the name he was looking for.   
  
He spotted Neville in the Common Room, _(How did we not notice him?)_ Ginny in the Girls' Dorms, Luna and Ron in the Ravenclaw Common Room, Gunner and Felice in an empty classroom, Malfoy and Lisa Turpin in the Slytherin Boys' Dorms, and Blaise Zabini was sprawled on a couch in the Slytherin Common Room. Harry's eyes moved rapidly over the parchment looking for a 'Melanie Summers'.   
  
"The Entrance Hall, of course," he whispered.   
  
"What? Harry what's—"   
  
"Do you trust me? If you do, you'll follow me to the Entrance Hall without asking any questions. I'll explain everything later."

* * *

**A/N:** I just wanted to warn you that I haven't spoken French in a few years so it's VERY rusty. Give me a break if it's not perfect. Again, I'm sorry for the cliffy! You might have to wait for the next chapter since I have just started to write Chapter 4... for which the information is given below. Drop me a review... or two or three! They are what fuel my fire! 

**Chapter Four: "Start of Term"**  
New arrivals, rumors galore, and connections beyond belief. Will Harry, Hermione, Ron and the others be able to keep everything on the DL or will Hogwarts' gossipers get wind of what's happening right under their noses? We're in for a bumpy ride!


	4. Start of Term

**A/N: **So... I guess you didn't have to wait too long, after all. I've been writing like crazy all week, so I really hope I get lotz and lotz of reviews!!! -:- hint hint -:- Um... oh, and some more new characters are introduced in this chapter, but I don't think this one is as weird as the last one... well... maybe it is... So anyway, enjoy the chapter! I haven't started Chapter 5, but since I'm visiting my cousin all of next week, I should post the week after... or something like that. I'm apologizing beforehand for that.

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter, though I really wish I did... but I don't! And I'm not making any money off of writing fanfiction, it's just for pure entertainment (of the readers, you, and the writer, me).

* * *

**Chapter Four: Start of Term**

In the dead of night, the entire corridor lit only by Hermione's wand, the pair trudged on.   
  
"Someone please help me..." a feminine voice murmured.  
  
Harry and Hermione faced each other. "Did you hear that?" they inquired in unison.  
  
"Yeah," they answered together.   
  
Upon reaching the dark Entrance Hall of Hogwarts Castle, Harry and Hermione immediately noticed the silhouette of a person laying on the ground.   
  
"Hello?" Harry said. He retracted the Cloak from over their heads. "Melanie?"   
  
The person lifted their head. Harry ignited his wand, and cautiously (after telling Hermione to wait) stepped up to Summers and bent over her form.   
  
"Are you alright?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"I'm fine," she replied in an icy tone. "I don't need your help, _Potter_."  
  
"Well, now that the introductions are over, let's get you to the Hospital Wing. Hey, Herms, help me out," Harry said.   
  
Melanie began to push herself off the ground, but failed and ended up passing out.   
  
Hermione conjured a stretcher and they took the injured girl to the infirmary.   
  
On their way back, after being shunned out by Madam Pomfrey, Harry noticed Hermione fidgeting.  
  
"I had another dream. I didn't know if it was real or not, but I took a chance. Hermione, before you say anything, I know it was stupid. I know it was risky. But even if she hadn't been there, I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing that she might have been there and I didn't do anything about it," Harry explained. He took a deep breath, awaiting the expected lecture. When it didn't come, he turned to face Hermione who was biting her lip in concentration.  
  
"You have some tough nights, don't you, Potter?" she said finally.  
  
Harry grinned. "Yeah, but tonight was a special case."   
  
"Wonder who the girl was?" Hermione said.   
  
Harry began to explain the dream to her.   
  
"That's very interesting, isn't it, though?" Hermione said when he'd finished.  
  
"What?" Harry asked.   
  
"That Voldemort was after her. I wonder what reason he had for it?"   
  
Harry shrugged. "Beats me." His shoulders sagged a bit. "I'm bushed!"   
  
They got back to the Common Room and Hermione was firm in her decision to stay with Harry the rest of the night.   
  
-----  
  
The infirmary was in chaos the next morning. Professor Dumbledore was trying in vain to question the girl, Melanie, who refused to divulge the information.   
  
Gunner and Felice were trying desperately to get into the Hospital Wing, as were Harry and Hermione.  
  
Finally, a millennia later, Dumbledore stepped out of the infirmary. Harry and the others slipped passed him and went unnoticed by Pomfrey.   
  
They reached the bed upon which Melanie was laying.   
  
Harry tapped her on the shoulder cautiously. From her behavior the previous night, he was pretty sure that she held some sort of unknown grudge against him.   
  
Melanie opened her eyes. She looked around at the four faces as if in a complete daze, before she regained her senses. "Gunner, where's Drake? I need to find him!" she said immediately upon spotting Benson and Felice.   
  
"He's in Romania," Gunner answered. "Don't worry about that right now, Mel. You need to rest."   
  
Harry looked back and forth between them. _I'm not even going to ask this time. Just watch and wait..._   
  
"He's... He's coming here for term, right?" Melanie asked.  
  
"Yes, he'll be here in a few weeks," Gunner answered. Felice cleared her throat.   
  
"Felice... nice to see you," Melanie answered, nonchalantly.   
  
Gunner stiffened up slightly. "Your husband got her bit by a vampire, Mel."   
  
"He what!?" Melanie cried.   
  
Harry noticed that her condition looked much worse in the light of day. Her face was covered in scratches and bruises. Her left arm was held in a sling, and her right one had a scratch going clear across her entire forearm.  
  
Her appearance, though disheveled, was attractive all the same. She had elbow-length dirty-blonde hair, beautiful aquamarine eyes and she looked the age of nineteen or twenty.   
  
What connection these people had with each other, with Voldemort, and with himself, Harry hadn't the slightest clue... and frankly, it was getting to be agitating. He wanted desperately to know what was going on, but no one seemed to want to tell him.  
  
"Mel, if you don't tell him that he needs to back off, I will," Gunner said firmly.  
  
"I'll talk to him. Is the condition bad?"   
  
"She can't control it yet," Benson answered. "I'll help her with it and she should be able to do it willingly by next month."   
  
Harry and Hermione excused themselves, clearly seeing that they were neither needed nor wanted there.   
  
"Everything just keeps getting weirder and weirder by the day," said Harry.  
  
Suddenly, what could only be described as Weasley feuding was heard down the corridor.   
  
"Ginny, get off my back! When and if I want to tell you, I will. But for now, leave me alone!" Ron exclaimed.   
  
"Whoa, hey," said Harry. He took Ron by the shoulders. "What's going on?"  
  
"Gin won't leave me alone," Ron said begrudgingly.  
  
"I see that much," Harry replied sarcastically.   
  
"He's got a secret, and it's about me, but he won't tell me," Ginny said as she approached.  
  
"Now, Ron," said Harry, "that's not fair... you should really tell her... after all, if she had a secret about you, she'd tell you... wouldn't you, Gin?"   
  
Harry looked at Ginny in a 'say-yes-or-I-can't-help-you-anymore' way.  
  
"Oh, uh, yes, yes... of course I would," said Ginny. She looked around in a distracted manner. "Whatever, I don't have time for this. I'll catch you later, Harry, Herm. Ronald, you'd better tell me what's going on, or it'll be a howler from Mum in your face!"   
  
With that said, Ginny stalked down the corridor, her footfalls left echoing on the stone walls.   
  
"I'm officially bored!" said Harry. "I've been left in complete darkness, having no clue as to what's going on, and I'm spending the rest of my bloody summer at school!"   
  
Hermione put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Aww, poor baby. Why don't we visit Hagrid, hmm? Something interesting is always going on with him!" she suggested.  
  
"That's not a bad idea at all," Harry said. "Alright, let's go."  
  
"Ron, you wanna come with?" Hermione asked, turning her attention to the redhead.  
  
"Sure... we haven't spent much time together lately anyway," Ron replied.   
  
As they grew increasingly closer to Hagrid's hut, Harry got progressively more and more worried.   
  
Why had she suggested something like that? Why had he agreed?   
  
Hagrid was in his garden, tending to his overgrown vegetables when Harry, Hermione and Ron approached.   
  
"Hagrid," said Harry.   
  
Hagrid turned away from his gigantic pumpkins and faced the trio.   
  
"Harry, Hermy, Ron!"   
  
Hermione rolled her eyes. Harry noticed, but forcefully held back a smile. Upon noticing this, Hermione gave him a sharp nudge to the ribs. Ron gave both of them a 'what the heck is going on?' look.   
  
"So, Hagrid... how was your summer?" Hermione asked tentatively.   
  
"Same as always," Hagrid replied.   
  
"How's..." Hermione began. She looked to Harry who had a 'don't do it, Hermione!!!' expression on his face. Hermione rolled her eyes again and finished her sentence, "Grawp?"   
  
Ron looked thoroughly confused now. "WHO?" he asked. (A/N: I'm not entirely sure, but I could've sworn that Ron's never heard of Grawp before... excuse me if that's not the case. Sorry.)  
  
"Me half-brother, Ron," Hagrid answered, at which his eyes took on a glazed, delighted shade of smoky-black.   
  
"Oh... oh, okay." Ron looked horrified, which mirrored the expression on Harry's face. "That's explains _everything_," he finished sarcastically.   
  
"Grawp's been a good boy over the summer," Hagrid said. The teenagers remained silent.  
  
Hagrid stared at them through his beady black eyes. The half-giant that Harry had known for the better part of five-and-a-half years was still as unkempt as ever. Hagrid's famous wiry beard and hair looked even more-so messy than before. Even though Ron was a foot or so taller than the other two, Hagrid still towered above him. The only person who was remotely close to the half-giant's height was Dumbledore, but he too probably only stood to his shoulder.   
  
"How's yer summer been, Harry?" Hagrid asked, breaking the minute-long silence.  
  
Harry's face darkened a slight bit.   
  
Hermione jumped in to answer for him. "Oh, Harry and I both spent our summer at The Burrow. We had a blast! Um... he and I... we..." she trailed off.  
  
"Oh, I see," said Hagrid.   
  
This caused both Hermione and Harry to blush slightly. "Yeah..." he muttered.   
  
"Geez, well it's getting a bit dark out here. I suppose we'll head back to the castle. See you later, Hagrid," Ron said.   
  
Hagrid smiled. "Yep. Stop by any time ya like."   
  
They headed back to the castle.   
  
"That was a tad bit strange," said Hermione, and she turned around to look back at Hagrid's hut.   
  
The Common Room was filled with all the Gryffindors who were staying at the school the rest of the week until term started, when Harry, Hermione and Ron arrived.   
  
Ginny was napping on the couch and Neville was reading a book at one of the tables (looking very much like Hermione when she did her homework). Felice and Gunner seemed to be arguing about something or other near the bay windows.   
  
Ron picked up a Quidditch magazine and dashed off upstairs.   
  
Hermione pulled Harry over to Felice and Gunner. They listened in on a bit of the argument.   
  
"You've got to let me help you with it, Felice!" Gunner was saying.   
  
Felice rolled her eyes. "I've got it taken care of, Gunner. Don't vorry about me so much!"   
  
Hermione butted into the conversation by saying, "It seems as if you two do more arguing than anything else."  
  
Harry stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm tired, it's been a long day," he groaned.   
  
"You big baby. You didn't do anything today but sit around!" Hermione scolded.  
  
"Yes, but last night I had to wake up at two o'clock in the morning to save someone! I'm a _hero_ remember?" Harry said dryly.  
  
Hermione's hazel eyes turned a darker shade of brown. "Don't be bitter, Harry."   
  
"I'm not. Besides, I think I'm entitled to a bit of bitterness now and then!" Harry replied.   
  
Hermione sighed. "I think you need to go to sleep," she concluded.  
  
"Sure, why not, _Mum_," he answered.   
  
"I should hope not!" Hermione exclaimed.   
  
Felice and Gunner had stopped their arguing a while ago and were now watching as the two storms clashed rivaling their own argument.   
  
"What? You don't like my Mother? Is that it, Hermione?"   
  
Hermione pulled herself out of his grasp and said sharply, "Harry! You're twisting this around! That's not what I meant at all."   
  
"Sure it wasn't."  
  
"I AM sure it wasn't!" Hermione replied angrily. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and stalked away.  
  
With a quick wink and smirk to the couple sitting by the window, Harry dashed off after her.   
  
-----  
  
The next morning, Harry sat with Hermione and Ron at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, eating some porridge when Gunner, Felice and (now recovered) Melanie approached.   
  
Melanie, who looked incredibly bored, walked right past them to where Draco Malfoy was sitting next to Lisa Turpin at the Slytherin table.   
  
"What's up with her? I saved her life, and yet she _still_ hates me," said Harry. "I don't get it."  
  
Gunner glanced at Felice then began his story. "I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this from you for long..." He sighed deeply as if to say 'Dammit, why'd I have to be the one to do this?'. "Her father used to be a Death Eater... before — before your father caught him and reported him to the Ministry of Magic who sentenced him to a lifetime in Azkaban. That's why she hates you and that's why she's so bitter. That as well as the fact that she's married to my brother."  
  
Harry leaned forward. "She's married to your brother?" he asked Gunner.   
  
Felice answered this time. "His betrothed, she vas. If you had been at their vedding, you vould know how much these two despise each other! They glared through the whole ceremony."   
  
Gunner's eyes darkened a slight bit at mention of his brother. It seemed to Harry, as if neither Gunner nor Felice got along very well with the other Benson brother. He waited patiently until Gunner began again.  
  
"My family is part of a long line of warlocks, which are more powerful beings similar to wizards, and craft-users similar to witches. We've had a tradition from since I can remember that each child born into a family of these powerful beings must marry a child born to another of these rare families. My brother's wife was born into the Summers family who had close ties to the Bensons. So, they were married when Drake turned twenty-one," Benson explained.   
  
Harry tried his best to absorb the information he was receiving. It was (Hermione would be proud of him) quite intriguing to him that such cultures and beliefs were held so strongly.   
  
"Malfoy seems to be having a blast behind his girlfriend's back," Hermione muttered.   
  
Harry turned around to see what she was talking about when he spotted that Malfoy was kissing Lisa Turpin again.  
  
"The Gryffindors will have a field day with it," Harry answered.   
  
"What's that guy's deal anyway?" Gunner asked.  
  
"Oh... just another person who wishes I was dead," Harry said impassively.  
  
Hermione gave him a soft whack on the arm, indicating that she didn't like what he was implying.  
  
Once again, as had happened the night before, Hermione's demeanor changed and she whispered quietly into Harry's ear, "I um... can we — no wait — we've got to talk to Ron."  
  
Harry looked at her with an expression of bewilderment on his face. "Is... everything... all right?" he asked.   
  
Gunner and Felice looked on, but stayed out of the couple's conversation.   
  
"Oh, yes. Everything's fine. Let's just go find Ron!" Hermione said.  
  
"Right... okay," Harry answered slowly. This difference in Hermione's personality wasn't something that he was used to. "So sorry to rush off like this, but you heard the lady," he added to the still silent Benson and Anderson.   
  
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry inquired once they were in the Entrance Hall outside the Great Hall.   
  
"Nothing's wrong, Harry. I promise," Hermione said. She continued walking to who knew where, but Harry took her arm and stopped her.   
  
Quite suddenly, a feeling of dread washed over his body and he swiftly turned around. Nothing... or no one — was there. He tossed off the cold feeling with a shake of his head.   
  
Upon turning back around, he was met with Hermione's lips. They continued their journey after a short kiss, this time with no questions asked.   
  
They found Ron speaking with Luna in the Clock tower Courtyard (A/N: from PoA the movie... just a courtyard beyond a clock tower).   
  
"Oh, there you are. Been looking for you," Ron said when he spotted them. The couple approached him swiftly. "I've just gotten word from the twins — well, I got the bit of news yesterday — that Dean Thomas and Justin Finch-Fletchley —"  
  
"Ron is this —"  
  
"Gossip? Yes it is. Well Dean Thomas and Justin Finch-Fletchley got into a bit of a scuffle at the twins' shop yesterday... over Ginny."  
  
"Was this the big secret you didn't want to tell Gin?" Harry asked.   
  
Ron nodded. "Yeah. She'd just about keel over in shock if I told her!"   
  
"Ron, this isn't right. You should tell her, since it obviously has to do with her," said Hermione. "She'd do it for you!"   
  
Ron began to protest. "She would not! She wouldn't even tell you, Hermione!"  
  
Hermione huffed indignantly. "I highly doubt that!" she replied.   
  
"No, no. He's quite right," Luna supplied.   
  
"Ginny may _seem_ innocent, but I'm telling you, she's got horns to hold up that halo of hers," Ron said.   
  
"Nice to see you love me so much, dear brother."   
  
Ginny walked up to Ron with a malicious smirk on her face. In her hands she clutched a long piece of parchment.   
  
"I just received a letter from the twins telling me all about Dean and Justin's fight as well as about how Fred and George knew _you_ would _not_ tell me about it," she hissed. "Besides... I got a letter from both Justin and Dean two days ago!"   
  
Ron blushed a slightly pink color at this revelation and began trying to apologize. He, Ginny and Luna continued arguing while Harry and Hermione made a stealthy departure.   
  
-----  
  
Hermione received a copy of the _Evening Prophet_ that night at dinner. She flipped it open to come face-to-face with four different people.   
  
Harry read over her shoulder the title,_ "Candidates for the Position of Minister of Magic Nominated"._   
  
Underneath each picture was a name and description.  
  
The first photograph was of a short, bald man with a beard. The name 'David Carmichael' was printed beneath his wizarding snapshot.   
  
Out of the four individuals, one stood out to Harry. It was a very stern looking man who had tousled hair and a twisted smirk on his face. He went by the name of 'Gregory Stevens'. The man's photograph sent a chill through Harry's body which he didn't like at all. The description didn't tell much but that Stevens had gone to Beauxbatons and had worked in France until fifteen years ago when he moved to England.   
  
Harry stared at the man's estranged smile for a full minute until Hermione folded up the paper.   
  
"Doesn't seem too promising, does it?" she said.   
  
Harry was staring at the table; his bottle-green eyes seemed to peer through the wood, boring into the stone floor of the Great Hall. That feeling of dread returned within the pit of his stomach.   
  
Hermione put a hand on his back. She leaned toward him and whispered, "Want to go upstairs and talk about it?"   
  
Harry nodded mutely and without a word to the others, they left the Hall.   
  
Upon arriving in the Common Room, Harry flopped down into an armchair, putting his head into his hands.   
  
Hermione kneeled in front of him and began to stroke his hair. She cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look her in the eyes. Those oh-so-beautiful chocolate-colored eyes that had mesmerized him many times. The same eyes that held a concerned gleam in them now, rivaling his own frightened ones.   
  
"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked. He moved his arms away and she crawled into his lap. "Talk to me... I'm here for you."  
  
Harry sighed deeply, that feeling of dread washing over him again. "Voldemort isn't happy... in fact, he's dreading something horrible."  
  
Hermione gasped slightly. "A-A-Are you s-sure?" she stuttered.   
  
He gave a nod. "I'm positive. Now, I don't know if that means something good on our part... or if we should be worried," he concluded.   
  
Hermione was biting her lip now, as she'd done so many times before when she was trying to finish an Arithmancy problem or a Potions essay.   
  
Just then, Ron came bustling in, shortly followed by the other Gryffindor summer occupants and Luna Lovegood. (A/N: I'm assuming that they are allowed inter-house entries... as long as they know the password right? Since Harry and Ron snuck into the Slytherin Common Room that time in second-year using the Polyjuice Potion.)  
  
Hermione gave Harry an 'I'm sorry' look to which Harry nodded in understanding. He leaned forward and whispered, "We can talk later."   
  
"Get a room!" Ron scolded, laughing as he found Hermione and Harry. Both Harry and Hermione grinned nervously at their other best friend. Things were simply not going according to plan... not that they had one to begin with.  
  
-----  
  
The rest of the week whizzed by faster than expected and Harry found himself sitting down beside Hermione in the Great Hall on the day of the Start of Term feast.   
  
He looked over to Felice who had begun her training (with help from Gunner and Melanie of course). She'd told Harry and the others that she'd prefer it if they didn't tell anyone about her condition. She'd said the last thing she wanted was to become an outcast in a place that she'd never been before.   
  
Hermione had insisted that Harry tell Dumbledore about his feeling of dread, to which he'd put down his foot and said no. He thought he would be wasting the headmaster's time by discussing petty things like that. So ensued the couple's second-ever serious argument. As of yet, Hermione was still not talking to Harry.   
  
Professor Dumbledore stood up to give his traditional 'what to do and what not to do and welcome first-years' speech. He added a bit at the end that was new to everyone. "And now, I'd like to welcome our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Mr. Drake —"  
  
A man with perfect jet-black hair and malevolently silver eyes cut the headmaster off. "Just Drake, Professor." His accent matched one of an American. He was tall with a lean, steady body. His smile was slightly twisted and his eyes became a tad bit darker.   
  
"Well then, I'd like to welcome Professor Drake. Good luck to you. The position is not an easy one, as I'm sure your students will be anxious to tell you. Now, tuck in." After speaking those two very important words, food beyond comprehension appeared on the tables.  
  
Harry, without even taking a glance at the food, turned to Gunner. "Is that —"  
  
"My dear brother? Yes," Gunner answered with a slight bitterness overtaking his tone.   
  
Meanwhile, Melanie's eyes had brightened and she was up and dashing toward the staff table. Drake had also stood and embraced her when she approached.   
  
Harry could see them talking, and watched as Melanie pointed to the Gryffindor table. She looked slightly angry as she spoke to her husband, who had the same twisted smile adorning his face.   
  
Harry turned his attention away from them and decided to concentrate on his oh-so-very-angry girlfriend who, even sitting beside him, was glaring at her chicken.   
  
He leaned over and very lightly, pecked her on the cheek, then whispered, "I'm sorry."   
  
The now pink Hermione stopped glaring at her food and faced him. "No you're not. Otherwise, for your benefit you would have told Dumbledore!" Her glare had been redirected at him.   
  
"'Mione, come on, look at him. He's busy as it is," Harry protested.   
  
Her face now held a pleading look. "Please? Do it for me!" she insisted.   
  
Harry sighed. "Fine... tomorrow..." he mumbled.   
  
Hermione grinned. "Yay! Thanks," she said in a very un-Hermione voice.   
  
They finished dinner in peace.   
  
Gunner and Felice stole away to their empty classroom after the feast, saying Felice needed to continue practicing.   
  
Hermione followed Harry upstairs and into the Boys' Dorms once again.   
  
Harry lay in bed with his head resting in Hermione's lap.   
  
"You're a great girlfriend," he muttered lazily. "Couldn't've found a better one."   
  
Hermione smiled. "Thank you." She leaned down and kissed him. Hermione held the kiss longer than he'd expected causing him to sit up.  
  
She wrapped her arms around his neck when he encircled his own around her waist, bringing her closer to him. Hermione pulled away first. She traced her finger across his jaw line, then replaced her finger with her lips. Her trail of kisses continued down his neck, and as if suddenly realizing what she was doing, she stopped and pulled away.   
  
"U-Uh... I've got to go," she muttered, and left.   
  
-----  
  
She avoided him the next day. Harry searched high and low in the Common Room but she was nowhere to be seen.   
  
Instead, Gunner caught him with a panicked look on his face. "Harry... they know..." he said.   
  
"Who knows what?" Harry asked, still looking around for Hermione.   
  
"Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil heard me talking to Felice and now they know all about the Vampire's Curse!" Gunner explained.  
  
"Curse? You never said anything about a curse!" Harry replied.   
  
"When a person gets bitten by a vampire, it is called the Vampire's Curse," said Gunner. "Now what the hell am I supposed to do?"   
  
"I'll figure something out. Just hang low for now and act normal. Try and get Felice's accent under control," Harry said.   
  
Putting Hermione's avoidance behind, Harry began searching for Lavender and Parvati.   
  
"Lavender! Parvati! Come here!" he said once he spotted them. He pulled them into a secluded corner away from roaming eyes and ears. "Listen, you can't tell anyone about what you heard."   
  
"Heard? What did we hear? We didn't hear _anything_."   
  
"Look, Lav, I'm really not in the mood for this, so... I'll do anything... just don't tell anyone that Felice is a vampire!"   
  
_"Anything?"_ Lavender asked. Her lips spread into a malicious smile.   
  
"Anything!" Harry said.   
  
With every passing second, Harry was regretting his offer. He knew they would think of something horrible for him to do.   
  
"You have to kiss us... both of us... once and we won't utter a word about any of it... not even the kisses," Lavender said, running her finger over his chest.   
  
Harry grimaced. Hermione would be beyond furious. He couldn't deceive her like that! But he had no choice. "Fine... make it quick. I'm in a hurry to find my _girlfriend_," he said and emphasized 'girlfriend'.   
  
Both witches squealed in delight.  
  
"You've got a girlfriend?" Parvati asked.   
  
"That makes it all the more delightful!" Lavender finished.   
  
Harry looked around to make sure no one was watching and quickly planted a kiss on each of them. Though Lavender did try to keep him longer, he forcefully pulled away and rushed out of the portrait hole.   
  
"Dammit... what did I get myself into? How the hell do I explain this one to her?" Harry muttered to himself.   
  
"Explain what?"   
  
Harry turned around slowly to catch her walking toward him, books in hand and school robes on.   
  
"Hey..."

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**A/N: **Wow... okay, I admit... weird. But it wasn't bad, was it? I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter... I've never finished writing a whole chapter so quick before. Hope you liked the chapter, and please please please review! Thanks to all who have _already _reviewed, I really appreciate each and every one! They are what fuel my fire, drop me a review... or two or three.  
  
-:- Wicked Dreamz -:-  
  
**Chapter Five: "The Truth Beyond the Curtain"  
**Harry's committed a sin... he's kissed someone else.... What will Hermione have to say for this? Plus, the new Minister of Magic is elected... but is he what the Wizarding World _really _wants? And... Draco Malfoy's in trouble and the only people who can help him are connected to his mortal enemy... now what? 


	5. The Truth Behind The Curtain

**A/N:** Yes, yes, I know I said I would post in a week, but my stay at my cousin's house was extended a few days, so that's why I didn't put this chapter up until now. Um, a bit of a warning... though this chapter does contain some important information, it is a bit of a filler because I didn't want to write what was supposed to happen in this chapter... in this chapter. I'm going to write the rest of it in the next one. So I kind of divided the chapter into two instead of one. Hope you like it anyway.

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**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter, though I really wish I did... but I don't! And I'm not making any money off of writing fanfiction, it's just for pure entertainment (of the readers, you, and the writer, me).

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**Chapter Five: The Truth Behind The Curtain  
**  
"Explain what, Harry?" Hermione asked, approaching him slowly. Though she was completely serious, her face was slightly pink, for what reason, Harry hadn't the slightest idea.   
  
"Why are you avoiding me?" he asked, reverting subjects.  
  
"Explain _what_, Harry?"   
  
She was now two inches away from him, her head only reaching his shoulder. Hermione turned her head up to look at him.   
  
"If something's wrong, you know I'm here and you can talk to me about it," Harry continued.   
  
_"Explain what, Harry?"_ she asked again.  
  
"GunnercameuptomethismorningandtoldmethatLavenderandParvati...foundoutFeliceisavampire. IsaidIwouldtakecareofitandItoldLavenderIwoulddoanythingsolongasshedidn'ttell. I KISSED LAVENDER BROWN AND PARVATI PATIL, OKAY!?" he yelled at last.   
  
"I'm not avoiding you, I'm just embarrassed about what happened last night, okay?"   
  
They ended up speaking at once and then both exclaimed, "What? WHY?"   
  
"YOU DID WHAT?" Hermione shrieked.   
  
"Why are you embarrassed? Is it because you think what happened last night shouldn't have happened?"   
  
So began Harry and Hermione's third-ever argument.   
  
By the time breakfast was over, Harry was angry at Hermione and Hermione was furious that he would do something like that.   
  
Ginny came up behind Harry while he was on his way to Potions, his first class of the day (much to his misery) and grabbed his arm.   
  
"Harry Potter, why in the _world_ would you ever do such a thing?" she asked angrily.  
  
"Ginny, now's not the best time. I'm late to Potions, so if you don't —"   
  
"Answer me!"   
  
Harry put up his hands in defense, almost scared of what he _knew_ the redhead was capable of.  
  
"I had to do it, Ginny. I didn't have a choice!" Harry snapped.   
  
Ginny huffed and stalked away.   
  
Upon reaching the Potions classroom, Harry walked swiftly up to Lavender and Parvati and hissed, "Do you two take pleasure in ruining other people's lives?"   
  
Lavender smirked. "_You're_ the one who said you would do _anything_, Harry dear." She ran a finger across his cheek, only to have it slapped away.   
  
Harry glared fiercely and walked away.   
  
Potions, no different from any other day, was hell... to say the _least_. Hermione made it clear that she would sooner pair with Draco Malfoy than pair with her backstabbing boyfriend, and Ron as well seemed slightly miffed and took to pairing with Neville. Of course Gunner and Felice paired with each other. This left Harry to be partnered with Blaise Zabini, a crude sixth-year Slytherin boy.  
  
Harry caught Hermione as she walked out of the dungeons.   
  
"Hermione, listen to me," he pleaded.   
  
He grabbed her arm and turned her around, only to find her crying.   
  
"Why would you do something like that?" she questioned thickly.  
  
"To help a friend out!" Harry answered immediately. "Would you not do the same, had it been you?"   
  
Hermione looked down and sniffed. Harry put a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. "You'd do the same wouldn't you?" he asked. More tears spilled onto her cheeks as she nodded solemnly. Harry pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered and kissed her on the forehead.   
  
News travels fast at Hogwarts. By lunchtime, everyone knew that Harry and Hermione were going out, that they'd had an argument, and were now back together... not they'd ever been apart in the first place, but neither Harry nor Hermione were in any position to deny the whole of Hogwarts this gossip.   
  
Harry walked with Hermione to Herbology, and they passed Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and Lisa Turpin in the midst of a heated argument. It seemed that Pansy had found Malfoy and Lisa making-out in a broom closet, though it was questionable whether Pansy was looking in that broom closet _for_ Malfoy, or if she wanted it for her own use since she had been holding the hand of a very smug-looking Theodore Nott.   
  
"I told you so," Hermione mumbled.   
  
"Maybe we should find our own broom closet, hmm?" Harry suggested jokingly.   
  
Hermione slapped him on the arm good-naturedly. "I'd much rather use an empty classroom," she answered. She winked at him.   
  
-----  
  
It was known throughout the school by the next day that Gregory Stevens had been the one elected Minister of Magic. It was all over the headlines in the paper.  
  
"There he is, the big oaf," Hermione mumbled.   
  
Harry looked down at her. "I have a feeling you resent the man for some reason, and I'm going to say that it's... because his hairline is receding?" he asked her playfully.  
  
Hermione patted his cheek with an impish grin on her face. "Not quite, Harry dear, but you were extremely close!" she squealed in a flaky 'Lavender and Parvati' way.   
  
"That doesn't give you the right to take away my girlfriend!"   
  
Harry and Hermione turned around. Ginny, flaming red hair and blue eyes, was being followed by a menacing-looking Dean Thomas and an angry Justin Finch-Fletchley.   
  
"YOUR _EX-_GIRLFRIEND!" both Ginny and Justin were quick to point out.  
  
Ginny stopped abruptly causing Justin, who was behind her to crash into her and they went tumbling to the floor.   
  
"What a cliché," Hermione whispered.   
  
At that moment, Gunner and Felice walked into the Great Hall hand-in-hand. They seemed to be becoming more and more used to the fact that they were virtually married in a sense.   
  
They sat down in front of Harry and Hermione who were now initially over the fact that Justin had just planted a smooch on Ginny.   
  
For some reason, Felice's canines were looking more profound today. She seemed to be trying to cover them up by pouting incessantly, but in Harry's opinion she'd have been better off _smiling_.   
  
He leaned forward, seeing Hermione do the same and together they whispered, "Is something wrong?"   
  
Felice, seemingly having just noticed them, smiled and shook her head. "No, nothing — vhy do you ask?"   
  
Before they could answer, Drake Benson approached the Gryffindor table, his wife latched onto his arm.   
  
"Gunner, little brother! How nice it is to see you," the black-haired, silver-eyed professor drawled.  
  
Gunner conspicuously rolled his eyes. "Haven't seen you in a while," he answered icily. "How was your stay in America? Did you have fun?"  
  
Harry could tell that the two brothers were only talking for the sake of public politeness. He noticed that Felice and Melanie were exchanging glares and scowls.   
  
"Uh — Uh," Harry stammered, trying desperately to cut-in. "Professor Ben—"  
  
Drake turned his attention away from his brother to Harry. The smirk that had been placed firmly on his lips quickly dissipated and was replaced by a scowl. "Harry Potter — I've heard a lot about you," he sneered.   
  
Harry as well rolled his eyes and answered with a, "Hasn't everyone? I'm starting to think that some of these people know me better than I know myself."   
  
Drake let out a false chuckle.   
  
"Sure, whatever," he said and turned to go. Before he walked away with Melanie he added, "My name is Professor _Drake_, and no one should know otherwise."  
  
Harry mumbled something incoherent under his breath before he said out loud, "So, 'Mione, what class do we have first today?"  
  
Hermione, thinking about it a moment first, replied, "History of Magic."  
  
The pair nodded goodbye to Gunner and Felice who said they would catch up momentarily.   
  
"It should be an interesting lesson," Hermione said.   
  
"Oh really? Why is that?" Harry inquired.   
  
Hermione smiled and took his arm.   
  
"Because we're learning about witch burning," she answered.   
  
Harry's face looked puzzled a moment.  
  
"What? Didn't we learn about that in the summer before third year or something?"   
  
Hermione nodded.   
  
"Yeah, but it's supposed to be more in-depth or something like that," she said.  
  
Lessons were quite dull that day. Harry didn't have any of his 'worthwhile' classes that day, which included DADA, Care of Magical Creatures and Transfiguration.   
  
Draco Malfoy wasn't seen for the rest of the day, which Harry figured was probably due to the fact that Pansy had hexed him after he'd told her that he had been cheating on her.   
  
Hermione, that night in the Common Room, gave Harry and Ron a bit of chilling news.   
  
"Malcolm Davenport just told me that Malfoy Sr. was found beat up and bloody outside of Knockturn Alley today. Draco's been Portkey-ed to St. Mungo's already," she said.   
  
"Serves him right after that stunt he pulled end of last term," Ron said. "Bloody bastard deserved what came to him."  
  
Hermione looked horrified at even the _prospect_ of Ron being happy about someone else being injured.   
  
"Ron, you are the most insensitive, selfish, egotistical, imbecilic _idiot_ I have ever had the _misfortune_ to meet! No one, _NO ONE_, deserves anything remotely close to what happened to Malfoy Sr.!" Hermione fumed.   
  
Harry took her by the shoulders from behind and, pulling her back a step, said, "Whoa there, Miss Mega Fury..."   
  
Hermione redirected her rant from Ron, who chose that moment to sneak off, to Harry who backed away quickly.   
  
Hedwig, Harry's (as he thought right then) miraculous bird decided to swoop through the window and dropped a letter atop Hermione's head. Harry removed it hastily.  
  
A handwriting he didn't recognize had printed, "Potter" at the top in sketchy letters.   
  
He quickly unfolded the creamy parchment, which had the Slytherin House seal on it.  
  
The letter read,   
  
_Potter,  
  
God knows I hate doing this, but I must, knowing it is my responsibility as Lucius Malfoy's son to put aside my hatred toward you for a brief moment.   
  
I will not say any more for fear that this letter will be read by someone other than you and your lap dogs.   
  
I'll get straight to the point. Meet me in the Room of Requirement (yes, I know about it) tomorrow night at midnight. I'll be back on grounds by that time.  
  
Don't worry, this is no ploy to kill you. It is a life or death situation for an acquaintance of mine and I… well, I… ugh, I need your help.  
  
Just meet me at the Room of Requirement, and I will explain.  
  
One more thing, the only person you can bring is your girlfriend. I dare say she's smart enough to just maybe be able to help me out.  
__  
Draco Malfoy  
_  
Harry gulped.  
  
Hermione, who'd been (trying very hard to) reading over his shoulder, said, "Are you going to go?"  
  
Harry nodded. "I think I should. Doesn't seem like he's going to pull anything. Are you coming with me?"  
  
Hermione nodded vehemently. "Of course I am!" she exclaimed.   
  
"You don't think he'd —"   
  
"No!" Hermione exclaimed. "He gave his word. I really think he's serious this time.... I wonder if this has anything to do with his father getting hurt?"  
  
"Must be... because I don't think he'd _ever_ ask us for help unless it was life and death," Harry said.

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**A/N:** Please R&R! I would really appreciate it, and I would like to thank those of you who review every chapter and those who even just reviewed once, it means a lot to me to know that people actually like my work and that they are reading it. Thanks again! Oh, and sorry about the filler!  
  
-:- Wicked Dreamz -:-   
  
**Chapter Six: "Family History"  
**What could Malfoy want with Harry? Help? Maybe it is a ploy to kill Harry Potter once and for all. Plus, Gregory Stevens pays Hogwarts a visit as the new Minister of Magic... but the question is, is he on their side?


End file.
